Giorgio KRSTULOVIC, in superfluids and quantum vortices!
- Science and society
- Research
on the July 7, 2025
Meet Giorgio KRSTULOVIC, CNRS researcher and member of the LAGRANGE Laboratory at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur.
At the LAGRANGE laboratory (Université Côte d'Azur, OCA, CNRS), Giorgio Krstulovic studies superfluids, quantum fluids that can flow without friction, unlike classical fluids such as water or air. A typical example is ultra-cold helium, which becomes superfluid at temperatures close to absolute zero.
In these superfluids, a fascinating phenomenon occurs: the appearance of quantum vortices, a kind of mini-tornado on an atomic scale. Although they obey the laws of quantum mechanics, their collective behavior resembles that of vortices in classical fluids.
As part of the ANR GIANTE project, he is pursuing two main objectives:
- To understand how microscopic hydrogen particles (used to visualize vortices) interact with these quantum vortices. This will enable laboratory experiments to be correctly interpreted.
- Test the universality of turbulence: when many quantum vortices interact, they form a kind of quantum turbulence. The project aims to compare this turbulence with that observed in classical fluids, to see how similar they are.
His inspiration
Giorgio Krstulovic shares with us the special moment in his life when he knew he wanted to become a researcher:
When I learned about a discipline that studies earthquakes, geophysics! Of course, this has nothing to do with superfluids, except perhaps to have waves propagating in all directions.
Why is this important?
Through his work, Giorgio Krstulovic is developing a deep understanding of quantum turbulence, tackling fundamental questions about superfluids, such as the intermittency of quantum turbulence, to problems with important implications in the industrial world, such as superfluid dynamics in confined domains.
The quantum vortex invites itself to Nice's Coulée Verte through the "Street Science" science walk!
Want to find out more?Discover its route
